Tag Archives: Civil War history

Follow in the footsteps of an assassin, walk the grounds that inspired the birth of our nation’s anthem, or see the site of the largest cavalry action in North America; Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours is pleased to announce its 2018 tour schedule.

Back by popular demand, the “5th Annual National Ed Bearss Symposium” will take place April 4-8 in Chambersburg focused on all aspects of American military history along with lectures by top historians including the legendary Edwin Bearss. The Symposium will include bus tours of the decisive 1814 Battle of Baltimore that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Other aspects of the tour will include colonial war sites in the lower Cumberland Valley as well as Civil War points of interest in Harrisburg, Pa. and Shepherdstown, W. Va.

“Our tours are designed to bring history to life by telling the stories and walking the hallowed grounds of sites that truly shaped our nation,” said Lark Plessinger, program coordinator of Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours. “From Fort McHenry to Ford’s Theatre, our 2018 conferences will deliver an unforgettable experience.”

“Roads to Gettysburg” will also be held at the Hampton Inn on July 24-29. Eric Wittenberg will lead this popular tour and follow the path of the Blue and Gray to Gettysburg with Brandy Station (site of the largest cavalry action in North America) and the battle of Second Winchester. Bonus tours in Virginia will include Aldie, Upperville and Middleburg as well as retracing the path of Officer Mosby’s Confederacy. The conference will include sessions by well-known historians, a silent auction to raise funds for Civil War battlefield preservation and more.

Finally, “Mr. Lincoln’s City & Booth’s Escape” will happen October 10-14 in Frederick, Md. This event will retrace one of the greatest manhunts in history – the flight of John Wilkes Booth! Attendees will discover Washington, D.C. through the eyes of Abraham Lincoln led by Dr. Ed Steers and Joan Chaconas. Also included are tours of Frederick’s Civil War history (like a behind-the-scenes look at artifacts at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine) as well as visiting popular places in the South Mountain region made famous by five U.S. Presidents including Eisenhower, Lincoln, Lyndon B. Johnson, James Buchanan and Andrew Jackson.

More than 200 people from the U.S. and Canada are expected to attend the conferences, with limited seating available on each tour. For more information about the upcoming seminars, or to register, visit www.CivilWarSeminars.org or call Plessinger at 717-264-7101 ext. 206. Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours is a division of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce and held in partnership with historian Ted Alexander. Special thanks to Franklin County Visitors Bureau for sponsoring the tours.

The Scott Hosier Scholarship is offered during our July 25-29, 2018 seminar, “Roads to Gettysburg” and is a full scholarship covering the non-member complete weekend package ($655 value). A $100 stipend for expenses is also offered if the awardee lives outside of a 50 mile radius from Chambersburg, Pa. The scholarship will be awarded to one student this year. The student must be at least 16 years old and must provide proof of student status whether at a high school, university or graduate level.

To apply, please send a letter stating why you would like to attend Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours’ “Roads to Gettysburg” weekend, why you should receive the scholarship, and what your interest is in Civil War history. Applicants must provide proof of student status such as a copy of a student identification card. Application deadline is July 1, 2018. Send applications to lplessinger@chambersburg.org or mail to Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours; 100 Lincoln Way E. Suite A; Chambersburg, Pa 17201.

Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours is now accepting applications for the 2017 Edwin C. Bearss Award. This award is given annually to support the study of the American Civil War era by reimbursing the awardee with up to $1,000 for scholarly research.

Named in honor of Edwin “Ed” C. Bearss, the Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, the award will be given to a deserving author working on a non-fiction book about the Civil War. The publication should be focused on Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia or the Shenandoah Valley. Once chosen, the awardee will receive up to $1,000 to cover expenses related to researching their book.

“Ed Bearss has played an essential role in the study of the Civil War throughout his career and regularly educates others about it across the country,” Ted Alexander, facilitator and co-founder of Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours, said. “His long term commitment to the field is astounding, and this is one way for us to show our appreciation for his diligence working with our organization and educating the public at large.”

This award is supported by both Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours as well as its program attendees throughout the year. Funds are raised through donations, raffles and auction proceeds.

Applications are being accepted now through April 1, 2017. Submissions will be reviewed by the Edwin C. Bearss Award Committee. The awardee will be announced at the “On to Richmond” Civil War tour scheduled for July 26-30, 2017 in Richmond, Va.

Interested individuals should contact Lark Plessinger at lplessinger@chambersburg.org or call 717-264-7101 ext. 206 for more information or to receive an application. The awardee will be notified by May 1, 2017.

Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours is a division of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce and held in partnership with historian Ted Alexander. Tours planned for 2017 will be held in Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia during April, May, July and September. These programs will be led by expert historians including Edwin C. Bearss, Dr. Richard Sommers, Wayne Motts, Christopher Kolakowski, Tim Smith, Tom Parson and others.

We’re rewarding our participants with $30 off each Generals or Complete Weekend Package when you register early! Use code EARLY30 when registering online or call Lark at 717-264-7101 to apply the discount. (Cannot be combined with any other discounts).

Register by Feb. 1, 2017 for the Ed Bearss Symposium to receive $30 OFF a Complete Weekend Package.

Register by March 1, 2017 for the Shiloh Civil War Tour to receive $30 OFF a Generals or Complete Weekend Package.

Register by May 1, 2017 for the On to Richmond Civil War Tour to receive $30 OFF a Generals or Complete Weekend Package.

The Scott Hosier Scholarship is offered during our July 27-31, 2016 seminar, “Gettysburg Day 3 & Beyond” and is a full scholarship covering the non-member complete weekend package ($675 value). A $100 stipend for expenses is also offered if the awardee lives outside of a 50 mile radius from Chambersburg, Pa. The scholarship will be awarded to one student this year. The student must be at least 16 years old and must provide proof of student status whether at a high school, university or graduate level.

To apply, please send a letter stating why you would like to attend Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours’ “Gettysburg Day 3 & Beyond” weekend, why you should receive the scholarship, and what your interest is in Civil War history. Applicants must provide proof of student status such as a copy of a student identification card. Application deadline is July 15, 2016. Send applications to lplessinger@chambersburg.org or mail to Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours; 100 Lincoln Way E. Suite A; Chambersburg, Pa 17201.

We are pleased to announce Dennis Frye as the 2016 recipient of the Ed Bearss Award! Given annually, the award encourages the study of the American Civil War era by reimbursing the awardee with up to $1,000 for scholarly research.

Named in honor of the esteemed, nationally-known historian, Edwin “Ed” C. Bearss, the award was presented to Frye at the Stonewall Jackson in the Valley Civil War conference last month. Frye is the Chief Historian at Harpers Ferry National Park and is the author of more than 77 articles and seven books.

“We are pleased to announce Dennis as the recipient of this prestigious award,” said Ted Alexander, facilitator and co-founder of Chambersburg Civil War Seminars. “His project, Searching for Stories: New Discoveries of the First Invasion of the North from Newspapers and the National Archives will gather primary source material for two of his upcoming books. We are honored that such a distinguished scholar will inaugurate this program to promote the study and understanding of the Civil War.”

The award is given to a deserving author working on a non-fiction book about the Civil War in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia or the Shenandoah Valley. Applications are being accepted now through March 1, 2017. The awardee will receive up to $1,000 to cover expenses related to researching their book.

Submissions for the award are reviewed by the Ed Bearss Award Committee with Dr. Richard Sommers of the U.S. Army War College as chair. Dr. Sommers and his committee of distinguished scholars will review applications in 2017.

Funds raised for the award originate from donations, silent auction proceeds and raffles. The award is supported by both Chambersburg Civil War Seminars and attendees at tours held throughout the year.

Interested individuals should contact Lark Plessinger at lplessinger@chambersburg.org or call 717-264-7101 ext. 206 for more information or to receive an application.

Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours is a division of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce and held in partnership with historian Ted Alexander. Tours planned for 2016 include Gettysburg Day 3 & Beyond in July as well as Lincoln at Gettysburg in September. Ed Bearss, Jeffry Wert, Joe Mieczkowski, John Schildt and more than 20 other speakers/guides will lead the Civil War tours.

This May we traveled to Harrisonburg, Va in pursuit of the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. The tour was excellent! Here’s our recap via pictures:

Group photo at Washington & Lee on our way to the Lee Chapel

Thursday, May 19 we followed the footsteps of Lee and Jackson on a tour of Historic Lexington led by Keven Walker and Edwin Bearss. Visits included the Stonewall Jackson House, Lee Chapel, Traveler’s grave, VMI Museum and Jackson’s Grave.

Stonewall Jackson House in Lexington

Friday featured all day sessions at Massanetta Springs Conference Center with talks by Jerry Holsworth, Steve French, Gary Ecelbarger, John Schildt, Daniel Toomey and Jeff Wert.

Saturday, May 21 we ventured on Jackson’s Valley Campaign to Camp Alleghany, Port Republic, Cross Keys, the Widow Pence Farm and Kernstown Battlefield led by Jeffry Wert and Edwin Bearss.

Sunday we continued our trek of Jackson’s Campaign to Front Royal, Kernstown Battlefield and Stonewall Jackson Headquarters with Jeff Wert and Ed Bearss.

Widow Pence Farm presentation.

Thank you to all of our participants – we had a fantastic trip! Hope to see many of you at our July “Gettysburg Day 3 & Beyond” seminar or September’s “Lincoln at Gettysburg.”

This past weekend I attended the Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours event, On the Trail of Those Damn Black Hats: Weekend with Lance Herdegen & The Iron Brigade. I did so as the guest of friend and facilitator Ted Alexander, in return for coverage of the event on my Twitter and Facebook accounts. Hopefully you are all followers and were kept up to date of all the happenings – if not, you can subscribe here. Below is a recap of the event.

Friday featured presentations at seminar HQ the Hampton Inn by Lance Herdegen (see an interview with him here) on The Iron Brigade at Gainesville; Tom Clemens (see an interview with him here) on the Black Hats’ Memories of Antietam; and Dan Welch (with the Gettysburg Foundation) on Beyond the Sobriquet: The Men of the Iron Brigade. After a break for dinner, the evening concluded with Lance and “Forward! Forward! Charge! Align on the Colors!”: The Unfinished Railroad Cut at Gettysburg.

Bright and early Saturday the 40 or so attendees boarded a bus bound for South Mountain (where we stopped on the National Road at Mt. Tabor and Bolivar Roads where Lance described the brigade’s move on Turner’s Gap.) Then it was on to Antietam, and discussions at the Visitor’s Center and the Miller Farm. Finally we arrived at Gettysburg, and after lunch at the Dobbin House Lance held court near the Reynolds Wounding marker and covered the brigade’s actions in Herbst Woods and the Railroad Cut. Of course, time in the bus was spent talking about the brigade’s actions on other parts of the field, and Lance unleashed a small portion of his vast knowledge of the men and events of the Iron Brigade as well.

I decided to stay over Saturday night for a slate of talks on Sunday morning, and I’m glad I did. Lance kicked off with a more complete history of the Iron Brigade (by the way, Lance is one of the most upbeat, happy guys I’ve ever seen on tour, and it wasn’t just this time – a hail fellow well met); fellow Save Historic Antietam Foundation board member and founder of the National Civil War Medical Museum Dr. Gordon Dammann gave a delightful presentation on Civil War Medicine Hollywood Style: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly; and Gettysburg Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides President Joseph Mieczkowski concluded the formal talks with a really interesting talk on Rufus Dawes & the 6th Wisconsin at Gettysburg and Beyond. Joe is apparently a “thread puller” like me and shared some fascinating tidbits.

The seminar and tour were well-organized. Raffles and auctions held Friday and Sunday raised about $500 for battlefield preservation, which will go toward purchasing available land at Antietam (see Civil War Trust info here.) And to top it off, I got to spend some time with a couple of fellows whom I had not seen in ten years, friends from prior battlefield stomps.

We enjoyed hearing from Wayne Motts of the National Civil War Museum speak about leadership at Gettysburg as well as insights from Perry Jamieson regarding Bentonville and learning more about Falling Waters and the end of the Gettysburg Campaign.

Sessions at the Hampton Inn in Chambersburg also included talks by John Priest, Dr. Richard Sommers, Tom Huntington, and Dennis Frye. George Wunderlich spoke about Civil War Ballistics and the type of wound damage expected of Civil War weaponry. A lively discussion with these historians, Ed Bearss, and Ted Alexander proved insightful as they reflected on the leadership attributes of Civil War Commanders.

The view of the valley from Little Round Top.

Our seminar concluded with an energetic and interesting tour of Little Round Top and Devil’s Den led by Ed Bearss. We are looking forward to visiting Gettysburg again in May as one of the stops on our tour with Lance Herdegen following the footsteps of the Iron Brigade! Please click here for more information about our 2015 Civil War Seminars & Tours.

The official opening of the seminar features an after dinner talk by the “Dean” of Civil War Historians, the great Dr. James “Bud” Robertson. This will be followed by one of our traditional “Insomniacs” sessions with Catherine Wright of the Museum of the Confederacy.

Our bus tours on Thursday and Saturday will be some of the most detailed ever given. Master battlefield trampers Ed Bearss and Robert E. L. Krick will take us to Cold Harbor, where thousands fell in minutes. Dr. Richard Sommers will share with us the years of scholarship that went into his book Richmond Redeemed, as we trek the various sites associated with Grant’s Fifth Offensive on Thursday and Saturday afternoon. On Saturday morning, Ed Bearss will take us to Petersburg with a look at the legendary “Crater” as well as other sites.

Friday is devoted to talks. This includes speakers such as Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters, Dr. Richard Sommers, Brig. Gen. John Mountcastle and many others. Friday evening is our annual Preservation Auction, of which many of the proceeds will be donated to preservation projects around the Richmond area.

Our grand event will conclude on Sunday with an optional tour of the Appomattox Campaign. This bus trip will be led by none other than Chris Calkins. He is the leading authority on the Appomattox Campaign, and he has the awards to prove it.

Oh, did I mention all of the good Southern cookin’ that will be served? This includes a barbecue buffet Friday night!